McCarthy calls 2013 team "a unique" group

Green Bay - When most people think of the 2013 Green Bay Packers, they'll think of the injuries up and down the roster, the inadequacies on defense and a pair of losses to the San Francisco 49ers for the second year in a row.

They'll think about this being the first year the Packers had gone without their starting quarterback for consecutive weeks since 1992, the remarkable production rookie RB Eddie Lacy provided and the continuing failure to defend the team's home-field.

They'll remember 8-8-1.

Coach Mike McCarthy said after the Packers' 23-20 oss to the 49ers in a wild-card game Sunday in frigid temperatures at Lambeau Field, he'll remember it for his team's resiliency.

"I thanked 'em, proud of 'em, unique group," McCarthy said when asked what his message was to the team. "To coach... I don't know if we've had a team work as hard. Young. We had some inexperience. Guys had to play probably before they were ready. They stepped in there and went for it."

"I thought the veteran leadership was very good this year. When I think of this team I think of the constant adversity that was thrown in front of them and appreciate the way they handled it."

The number of injuries the Packers suffered was extraordinary, but not that far off from two of the past three years. It is something McCarthy and general manager Ted Thompson will have to address in the off-season to see whether there is a reason for it.

They'll have to address the youth on defense and whether they can be successful with Thompson's draft-and-develop philosophy and neglect of free agency. They'll have to make decisions on key free agents such as NT B.J. Raji, WR James Jones, CB Sam Shields, DE Ryan Pickett and C Evan Dietrich-Smith.

Before all that happens, however, they'll have to come to grips with a lost season, one in which QB Aaron Rodgers missed seven games due to a broken collarbone, LB Clay Matthews broke his thumb twice and the safety play was as bad as it has been in many years around here.

"It was a frustrating way to end the season," QB Aaron Rodgers said. "I think a lot of us felt with the way things had gone the last four or five weeks that there was something special about this year, and everything might be aligning right for us to make a run.

"So, I"m very disappointed. Personally, it's frustrating not to play your best game. (It was in) tough conditions, but the defense held them to 23 points. We should win that game."

But they didn't and now the process of figuring out where it went wrong will begin.

About Tom Silverstein

Tom Silverstein has covered the Green Bay Packers since 1989. He is a two-time Wisconsin Sportswriter of the Year award winner.